


Nothing True Except The Eyes

by mycry2468



Series: Futile Devices [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal (TV) RPF, Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom
Genre: AU, Attraction, Denial, Denial of Feelings, Desire, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Drinking, Feelings, Filming, Firenze | Florence, First Kiss, Flirting, Hannibal Extended Universe, Hannibal Season 3, Jealousy, M/M, Madancy, Masturbation, Men & Chicken Premiere, Phone Calls, Phone Sex, RPF, Romantic Friendship, Season 3, Season 3 Finale, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smoking, Surprise Ending, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:21:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21634312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mycry2468/pseuds/mycry2468
Summary: I decided to write a Madancy fanfic just for fun. I love them both and I respect them so I’m not saying this actually happened, it’s just fiction and I hope you’ll like it.Since English is not my first language (I’m Italian), I want to thank pisces714 for proofreading my work.This fanfic has 10 chapters, so hopefully we’ll able to upload one chapter a week.
Relationships: Hugh Dancy & Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy/Mads Mikkelsen, Mads Mikkelsen & Hugh Dancy
Series: Futile Devices [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620028
Comments: 18
Kudos: 79





	1. The Trailer

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to write a Madancy fanfic just for fun. I love them both and I respect them so I’m not saying this actually happened, it’s just fiction and I hope you’ll like it.  
> Since English is not my first language (I’m Italian), I want to thank pisces714 for proofreading my work.  
> This fanfic has 10 chapters, so hopefully we’ll able to upload one chapter a week.

The break between one scene and another had just begun. Hugh took advantage and went into his trailer to pee and lie down for a moment on the couch. They had been filming for hours and Hugh was still feeling cold from the day before when he and Mads had to film the scene where Hannibal was taking Will to safety from Mason's estate. Mads had insisted that Hannibal carry Will in his arms bridal style for a stretch of the road and Bryan had agreed. Mads had made a huge effort to carry him in his arms but, in his own words, he had done it willingly because it would make the scene better. Hannibal would definitely have done it for Will.

Mads empathized a lot with Hannibal, and this was beautiful. In his heart, Hugh had to admit that he had become so fond of Will Graham's character too. He had never felt so close to a character before. By now they had arrived almost halfway through the third season, Hugh felt almost nostalgic at the idea that filming would be over in the near term.

Thoughtful, Hugh lay down on the sofa and looked at the ceiling. The days passed too quickly and he didn't want the filming to end. He had too much fun with the cast. With Mads. By the time Hannibal started filming, their friendship had solidified. It had never happened to him to have such chemistry on set with a colleague. Their bond had strengthened season after season. Every night they would go for a drink together before returning to their respective apartments. Hugh loved spending time with him, both on and off set. Between them there was a strong understanding, an understanding that he could not deny. Hannibal and Will's relationship had gradually evolved over time, just like theirs. Hugh felt something when Mads approached him or touched him, and that excited him. He wasn't sure if the same thing happened to Mads, he never asked him.

They often exchanged lingering glances and naturally had a strong understanding of one another. This could mean nothing but it could also mean everything. He had never tried to delve deeper, and neither did Mads. Mads had a busier career than his, and Hugh felt sick at the thought that they probably wouldn't be able to see each other more often after filming. This thought afflicted and tormented him. It hurt like a sting stuck in the flesh. He didn't understand why he felt this way. After the stay in Florence and the subsequent filming something had changed. It was probably all in his head, but Hugh felt that he had gotten even closer to Mads, now that Hannibal and Will's relationship had become even more intense. But why did he keep thinking about it so much? It wasn't normal. It wasn't...

Someone knocked firmly at the door. Hugh beamed, feeling almost caught in the act of a crime. He got up from the couch and went to open the door. Unexpectedly, he found Mads in front of the threshold. Mads hinted at a smug smile, Hugh blushed. Not by the gesture, but by the fact that he was thinking of him just a few seconds before. He looked at him almost with guilt.

"Hugh! Am I disturbing you?"

Hugh stared at him dumbfounded for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak. He hesitated.

"N-no... absolutely not. What is it?"

Mads hinted at an amused laugh and moved his fringe behind his ear. Hugh followed the movement of his hands and swallowed with difficulty. _(What was going on with him?)_

"Well, see... I don't know how to tell you..." Hugh stared at him almost paralyzed. _(Tell him what?)_

In that moment, Hugh stopped breathing. Curiosity was killing him.

"Tell me what?" he asked nervously.

"Can I come in for a moment?"

"S-yes... sure....come in, please." Hugh moved and invited him to sit down. He was starting to feel agitated. _(Why?)_

"What... what happened?" he asked, trying to appear as cool as possible.

"See..." Mads looked Hugh straight in the eye. Hugh felt out of his mind, as was often the case during filming, a sense of bewilderment. He desperately wanted to know what Mads wanted to tell him. Why had everything come to him so quickly? What was he supposed to tell him?

"Yes?" Hugh invited him in without interrupting eye contact. There was a strange tension in the air. Hugh held his breath and felt his body stiffen. _(Why did he feel that way?)_

"Well... my toilet is clogged and I was wondering if you could accommodate me in your trailer." Mads admitted in all frankness. Hugh fell from the clouds. He blinked and looked at him in awe.

"Your toilet..." he could not finish the sentence. He couldn't describe his reaction. _(Disappointment?)_

"Yeah. I won't go into details. In a few minutes the word will spread and everyone will have great laughs! So, can I stay with you? Do you mind?"

Mads looked at him with a delicate smile. Hugh reciprocated trying to look natural. What should he tell him? Was he going crazy? Hugh felt light-headed and he didn’t know what to do.

"Of course, no problem." Hugh replied.

"Thank you!" Mads approached him and hugged him. Hugh was petrified and was unable to reciprocate the hug. He knew that Mads just wanted to thank him. By now he had to be used to physical contact with Mads, yet every time they touched, he felt it like a shock.

"Are you okay, Hugh? You look strange.." Mads inquired, dissolving the hug and looking at him in the face.

"I'm fine." Hugh replied. Mads stroked his shoulder.

"Okay. You seem a little upset..."

"Really? No, no..." Hugh said with a false smile. Even Mads had noticed something was wrong. He could sense it, now that they knew each other pretty well. Mads knew him well. He had to stop.

"I am." Mads said sincerely. Hugh looked at him unsettled. His smile was gone.

"Why?"

"It's for the scene that we have to shoot. I find it heartbreaking the way Will rejects Hannibal after all they've been through. They're made for each other. They are soul mates."

Hugh looked at Mads and smiled at him. He found it sweet that Mads felt so involved.

"Don't look at me like that Hugh!" Mads jokingly scolded him.

"I'm not kidding you, it's nice to see how much you've come into the role. Anyway we can't change anything. .and if we really have to say it, Hannibal had it coming!" Hugh replied. He looked at him.

"Oh c’mon! Will could give him a chance and they could run away together to some nice warm place! It doesn't have to be that complicated. They would disappear from the face of the Earth and spend the rest of their lives happily married." Mads commented.

"Married, eh?" Hugh raised his eyebrow.

"Hugh, get it into your head... this is NOT a platonic love!" They both laughed.

"Okay, okay... but without the Red Dragon, the show would have ended so soon. Will and Hannibal would have been married happily ever after already."

"You're right. I don't want it to end. To me, we could do many more seasons. I enjoy being with the cast, with you." As soon as Mads said it, Hugh felt a blush coming on again.

"The feeling is mutual..." Hugh ventured.

For a moment the two looked at each other without saying anything. Hugh was absorbed in his colleague's eyes and felt a sense of helplessness. Mads was a very charming and charismatic man. It was undeniable. Wherever he went, he always attracted the attention of many women. And men. Hugh wondered if Mads was fully aware of it. He wondered if he'd ever felt attracted to any man. _(attracted to him?)_

Mads was about to say something, but someone knocked on the door. "Mads? Are you here?" It was Bryan. Mads and Hugh exchanged glances of understanding.

"Surely he came to talk about my little problem... See you in a little while on set!" Mads said.

"Certainly, later." Hugh let him out and breathed a sigh of relief.

After this meeting with Mads, he felt thrilled. This didn't make any sense. Mads was a dear friend of his and cared about him. Was there something more though? Who were they to each other? Hugh couldn't say for sure. He had to stop thinking of these strange thoughts and ideas. _(What kind of ideas?)_

After the break they resumed the final scene of “Digestivo” where Will decided to break up with Hannibal. Bryan was moved by the intensity with which Mads and Hugh had acted. As soon as they finished, Hugh approached Mads.

"Hey." As soon as Mads turned, Hugh noticed that he still had shiny eyes. In fact, the script didn't say that Hannibal would almost cry, but evidently Mads had done it on his own. Hugh didn't understand if his eyes were shiny because Mads had decided to do the scene like this, or if the moment had touched Mads' sensibility.

"Hey." Mads replied hinting at a smile.

"Are you ok?" "Of course... are you okay?" Hugh sketched a smile.

"Sure." Mads looked at him softly. Hugh felt almost embarrassed. He didn't want to be intrusive and ask him questions about the scene, but at the same time it hurt him to see Mads like this.

"Listen, do you want to go out for a drink later?" he asked.

"Of course, why not." Mads responded by nodding his head and blinking. Hugh tried to look away. He didn’t want to embarrass him. If he wanted to talk about it, Mads knew he could do it with him.

"Well... fantastic." He answered. Mads smiled at him and walked away. Hugh watched him leave and felt a sense of sorrow.


	2. The Baron In The Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mads looked at him as if he was expecting something. Hugh was unable to speak, and he didn't know what Mads expected of him. For the first time since they had met, Hugh didn't know what to tell him.  
> "Sometimes I want to climb a tree and never come down.”

Mads and Hugh left the set after filming and headed to the bar where they usually go drinking. Mads remained silent throughout the way and Hugh did not try to force him to speak. 

When they arrived, they found a free table and sat down. They ordered their usual beer and sipped in silence. It was the first time this had happened. The place was crowded and people were chatting loudly, but for Hugh it seemed nobody was there. He avoided crossing Mads' gaze and tried to look around. He felt like he was locked in a bubble. When Mads started to get up, Hugh almost jumped.

"I'm going to get another beer, shall I get you one too?" Mads asked with a low tone in his voice. 

"Yes, thank you." Hugh hadn't finished his, but he replied automatically. He didn't even realize Mads had already finished drinking his. He had to find the courage to ask him what was wrong. It wasn't like him to behave like this. Something troubled him. 

Mads returned a few minutes later with two more beers in his hands. He sat down and started drinking again. 

"Mads?" Hugh looked at him with regard.

"Yes?" Mads looked him straight in the eye for the first time. He had a serious look. Where was the Mads Mikkelsen he knew?

"Is there something wrong? You're quiet tonight. It's not like you."

Mads looked down. 

"No, it's all right." He replied shortly. Hugh knew it wasn't the truth, but he didn't want to insist. Inside, however, he was screaming. 

"Okay."

The two continued to drink and within minutes Mads went to get a third beer for himself and for Hugh. Hugh didn't say anything and didn't even speak when Mads went to get his fourth beer. When Mads finished drinking that too, he got up.

"I'm going to the toilet." He announced. Hugh noticed that he wasn't walking exactly straight. He waited until Mads returned to the table.

"You know, Hugh. You're right." he began after he finished sipping.

"About what?" Hugh looked at him. 

He didn't know whether to feel relieved that Mads was finally talking to him or whether to feel worried about what Mads was going to say. Mads probably drank too much and now he'd tell him what was going on. Maybe he was mad at him, but why? They hadn't had any discussion. So what was wrong?

"About the fact that I'm silent and it's not like me." Mads admitted almost mumbling. Okay, he was pretty drunk.

"Okay... Is there anything I can do? Are.. Are you mad at me?" Hugh felt distressed. Mads advanced his hand towards Hugh's, which was leaning against the table. Hugh looked at Mads' hand leaning over his. He looked up and looked at his inebriated colleague. 

"No, Hugh. I could never get mad at you. It's my fault, I get too carried away..."

Hugh looked at him bewildered. He felt Mads' warm hand above his own and suddenly felt feverish. 

"Is it for the scene we shot?"

"Not only that." 

Hugh couldn't understand. Mads was obviously too drunk and it was hard to understand what he meant.

"Will you miss me?" Mads asked suddenly. Hugh looked at him dumbfounded.

"What do you mean?"

"When we finish filming and we separate, will you miss me?" 

Hugh felt Mads' hand tighten around his. His heart was beating louder and harder.

"Of course. Of course I'm going to miss you." Hugh said. At that moment he wanted to tell him how much he would miss him, but he couldn't. Maybe he drank too much, too. 

Mads looked at him as if he was expecting something. Hugh was unable to speak, and he didn't know what Mads expected of him. For the first time since they had met, Hugh didn't know what to tell him.

" Sometimes I want to climb a tree and never come down.”

Hugh looked at Mads. He couldn't understand what he meant. Maybe Mads was too drunk and didn't even know what he was saying. 

"Mads, I think we both drank a little too much, maybe it's better if we go to sleep. What do you say?"

Mads made a disappointed face.

"Let's go." He answered by getting up. Hugh got up in turn and approached Mads seeing him stagger. Mads clung to Hugh and they left the place. 

"Mads, where do you have the keys to your apartment? I'll take you." Hugh asked. Mads touched his pockets confused.

"Jeg har dem ikke!" (I don’t have them) he muttered. 

Hugh sighed. When he started speaking Danish, it meant Mads was too drunk to speak in English. Hugh knew that. Apparently he didn’t have the keys, so he must have left them in his trailer before they left.

"Mads, are the keys in my trailer?" he tried to ask.

"Maybe…Jeg ved det ikke.” (I don’t know) 

"Okay, Mads. Let's go get them..."

The two walked. Mads mumbled things half in Danish and half in English. Hugh began to relax and, thanks to the good dose of alcohol in his body, began to laugh and joke with Mads. At last the atmosphere seemed to get better. 

Once in front of the trailer, Hugh rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the keys to his trailer. 

"Well done Hugh!" Mads commented, laughing and supporting his forehead on his shoulder. Hugh opened the door and helped Mads climb. Mads immediately found the couch and threw himself on it.

"No, no, no Mads! We have to find the keys and then I'll take you home!" Hugh said, trying to stop him from staying on the couch. He knew it would be hard to get him up. Mads muttered and Hugh tried to shake him to keep him awake.

"Mads don't fall asleep!"

"Mmmh Hugh we stay here." Mads mumbled and closed his eyes.

"What? No.. NO! Mads we can't....Mads don't fall asleep, okay? I'm looking for the keys now and..."

"You know, if the circumstances were different, you'd be much more than a friend to me, Hugh."

Hugh froze as soon as he heard those words and stared at Mads. His eyes were closed. It took him a few seconds before he worked out what his colleague, his friend, had just told him. Maybe he imagined it? Or maybe he misunderstood his words. Not to mention that Mads was much drunker than he was and talked nonsense.

Hugh didn't know what to think. When one is drunk they always have a tendency to say what they feel and think. They are uninhibited and have no brake, Hugh knew that. Nevertheless, he did not think it was possible that Mads would have told him such a thing. What did he mean by more than a friend? Hugh knew what he meant, but he didn't know if he could handle this right now. Maybe he was too drunk to think.

He needed time to process everything. But what was there to process? Wasn't that what he was thinking about before? He wondered if Mads felt what he felt. Now he had his answer. 

"Mads..." he tried to say.

Mads did not answer. Hugh realized that he had already fallen asleep heavily. Hugh stood by and stared at him. Mads seemed to sleep so serenely that he didn't feel like waking him up. If he ever did. Now he didn't know what to do. Mads was asleep and he had no idea where the keys were. He probably left them somewhere, but even if he found them, he wouldn't be able to wake Mads up. 

Hugh sighed. What if they both stayed here? He felt tired and drunk too. Returning to his apartment would have been too tiring. It was too late, and in a couple of hours they would still have to wake up for another day of filming. It wasn't worth all that effort. Hugh was more or less aware that this was a bad idea, but he did not care.

Determined to stay, Hugh sat on the part of the couch not occupied by Mads and rested his head on the coffee table in front of him. The position was not the most comfortable, but suddenly he felt so tired that he would fall asleep anywhere. The last thing Hugh thought of before he fell asleep was Mads' voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Baron In The Trees (in Italian: Il Barone Rampante) is a novel written by Italo Calvino. In this book Calvino tells the adventures of a young baron who climbs up a tree to spend the rest of his life inhabiting an arboreal kingdom. This book inspired me this chapter, specifically when Mads says " Sometimes I want to climb a tree and never come down.”
> 
> Many thanks to pisces714 for proofreading my work!


	3. Few Useless Hiding Places

Hugh slowly opened his eyes. It took a few seconds before he could tell where he was. As soon as he lifted his head, he realized that his neck hurt and he had a headache. He turned slowly and saw Mads lying on the couch next to him: he was sleeping soundly. Hugh put his hands on his own face and tried to process his thoughts. He knew why he was in the trailer and he remembered everything that had happened the night before.

_"You know, if the circumstances were different, you'd be much more than a friend to me, Hugh."_

The memory of what Mads had told him hit him like a full-speed train. Did he really think so? Hugh didn't know what to do. There were two options: he could do nothing, or he could ask Mads directly. What if Mads told him he really thought so? What would he do at that point? Hugh was in a crisis.

Maybe he shouldn't think about it now that he was hungover. Besides, he had far more pressing problems to think about. Neither of them had returned to their apartments and they were still dressed as the day before. Hugh looked at the clock hung on the wall. It was 8.30 a.m. The crew and cast would arrive within half an hour on set. Hugh had to hurry or they would notice that he and Mads had spent the night in the trailer and who knows what ideas they would have made. But why did he care so much about what they thought? After all, they were two good friends who had gone a bit too far with alcohol. It could have happened to anyone, right? But he and Mads weren't anyone, and Hugh knew it.

Agitated, Hugh rose from the couch. His back hurt and he felt his arm was asleep. He went to the bathroom to pee. He tried to organize his ideas. He needed a good dose of caffeine, something to eat and possibly something for the headache. He and Mads would both need it. A full day was ahead of them. Hugh pulled up his zipper and turned on the water. He washed his hands and face and came out of the bathroom.

Mads was still on the couch sleeping peacefully. Hugh sighed and wondered if it was better to try to wake him up now or go first to get breakfast. Over the years, he'd been getting drunk with Mads, but it was the first time they'd ended up sleeping in the same place together. Only once had they probably been close: in Florence.

In Florence Hugh and Mads had fun like never before. One evening Mads had invited him out to dinner. Dinner just for the two of them. Hugh had accepted the invitation and they had gone to a luxury restaurant on the banks of the Arno. They had eaten a great meal and drank the best wine he had ever tasted. At the end of the evening, they were completely drunk. Hugh didn't remember much about what happened after dinner. He knew that they had walked for awhile through the desolate streets of Florence and that they had found themselves at some point in an alley. The only thing Hugh remembered was that he found himself against the wall and Mads was hugging him _(or was it something more?)_.

Hugh didn't know why this fragmented memory came back to him right now, but inside he wondered what they had done that night and whether Mads remembered anything about what had happened. He didn't even know how he got to the hotel. The next day Mads didn't elaborate on the subject, so maybe nothing had happened.

Hugh decided to set aside these thoughts and put on his coat to go out and get breakfast. He cautiously opened the trailer door and looked around to make sure there was no one around. As soon as he was certain there was no living soul nearby, he walked away quickly.  
Hugh went to the nearest place and ordered two coffees and something to take away. Once he arrived in front of the trailer, Hugh opened the door as quick as possible to go back inside, hoping no one would notice him.

"Hugh!" he heard someone calling behind him. Damn it!

Hugh turned and saw Bryan.

"Bryan... hello."

"What are you doing here already? I thought you'd come later."

Hugh looked at him hesitantly.

"Well ehm, I woke up early this morning and came straight here." Hugh said, lying.

"Dressed in yesterday's clothes?" Bryan asked, looking puzzled.

Hugh looked at him and hesitated. He was still a bit hungover and he needed caffeine. His brain couldn't work without it.

"Hugh, look, you can tell me the truth. I know you didn't come from your apartment because the make-up artist came in early this morning and saw you come out of the trailer. Did you sleep here?" Bryan asked.

Hugh looked at him. He hesitated for a moment. He trusted Bryan, and in any case if the make-up artist saw him and told Bryan, he probably had already told the whole crew.

"Last night Mads and I went for a drink and we went a little over the top. Mads is inside, he's sleeping."

"Mads? Did you sleep together in the trailer?" Bryan asked, looking at him almost surprised. Hugh blushed involuntarily.

"Yes... No! No! It’s not what you think... he slept on the couch and I leaned against the coffee table. We had come back to look for his keys but we fell asleep." Hugh explained.

Bryan looked at him. He hesitated for a second.

"Ahhh. I understand. Well, that explains yesterday's clothes and your hungover face." Bryan commented. Hugh looked at him with guilt.

"Listen, don't worry. Filming starts in a little while, so have breakfast and then join us." Bryan said, showing his humanity and understanding as usual. Hugh was grateful that he did not want to investigate the matter at that time.

"Thank you. Look, is it possible to have something for the headache?" Hugh asked, sketching a smile.

"Of course! I'll bring you something."

"Thank you Bryan..." Hugh replied and climbed into the trailer and closed the door. Once inside, he sighed.

"Hugh..."

Hugh turned suddenly. It was Mads' voice. He had just woken up.

"Hey Mads..." Hugh said, approaching the couch.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like hell." Mads replied.

Hugh looked at him. His hair was all messed up and he had an exhausted expression. It was tender. At that moment he wanted to caress his face.

"I brought us breakfast and something is on the way for the hangover." He said in a low voice.

"Fantastic. Thank you Hugh.” Mads looked around disoriented.

“Listen but.. Are we in the trailer?"

Hugh had a little laugh.

"Yes. Yesterday we came to get your key but we fell asleep here." He answered.

"Have we slept here? You and I together?" Mads asked. His voice suddenly changed.

"Yes. Well, not quite together. You slept on the couch, I sat with my head on the coffee table! I'm not telling you the condition I woke up in this morning!"

Mads looked down.

"I'm sorry, I took all the space. You could have moved or threw me on the ground."

Hugh laughed.

"Are you kidding? I would never have done that! It wasn't so traumatic in the end, I slept heavily until this morning. " He responded and took all the things out of the bag and put them on the coffee table.

Mads pulled himself up slowly and grabbed himself a coffee. It was still warm. Hugh took a sip of his and ate a slice of cake he had bought. Today he had wanted dessert.

"Mads, do you remember anything from yesterday?"

Hugh didn't know why he was asking. Or maybe he knew it well, but he didn't want to admit it.

Mads tasted the cake and chewed slowly.

"Not exactly. What have I done?" he asked innocently.

Hugh shrugged.

"Nothing. Nothing. I just wanted to know if you remembered anything."

Mads looked at him puzzled.

"Did I say anything?"

Hugh froze for a moment. Why was he asking him this question? He was afraid he'd say something he couldn’t say, like: _"You know, if the circumstances were different, you'd be so much more than a friend to me, Hugh."_

"No."

Hugh felt so stupid. It could have been his chance to find out the truth, but he preferred to pretend that nothing happened again. Maybe he didn't feel ready. Maybe it wasn't the right time.

Mads kept watching him. It was as if he was waiting for a different answer, for an afterthought, but Hugh said nothing about it.

"I'm going to the bathroom." He said getting up.

Once alone, Hugh sighed and felt like a coward.

Bryan arrived moments later to bring something to overcome the hangover and their stage clothes. Hugh and Mads finished breakfast in silence and took turns taking a quick shower. That day they would separate to shoot the second part of Season 3. Hugh didn't know how Mads felt about it, but he felt distraught at the idea of staying away from his colleague. Before exiting the trailer, Mads looked at him with a sad look.

"Have a good day, Hugh."

Hugh felt something crushing his heart.

"You too, Mads."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to pisces174 for proofreading my work <3
> 
> "Few Useless Hiding Places" is a book written by Giorgio Faletti, one of my favorite Italian writers.


	4. Empty Places

Filming was going on a regular basis. Hugh and Mads didn't have too many scenes together, but despite everything Mads always went on set when Hugh was there to spend time with him and have lunch together.

Hugh was more than happy to be in Mads' company and by now his trailer had become their trailer. Hugh didn't mind sharing that space with him, and this cohabitation had become so natural to him that he couldn't have imagined a different alternative. One day Hugh, talking to the make-up artist, found out that Mads’ trailer had actually been fixed for several days, but Mads hadn't even mentioned it. Hugh on the one hand was glad he didn't leave, but on the other he wondered why he hadn't told him about it. He decided, of course, to keep it to himself and say nothing.

It came time to shoot the season 3 finale. After reading the entire script, Mads felt disappointed that there was not a kiss planned between Hannibal and Will. He talked about it directly with Bryan, who tried to make him realize that it was going too much into fan fiction territory and they could talk about it in season four.

Hugh listened to the whole conversation, trying to contain his embarrassment. If Hannibal and Will would share a kiss, it meant he and Mads would kiss. Normally he wouldn't have had any trouble kissing a colleague, he had already done it. With Mads, however, things were different. The thought made him very nervous. ( _or did it excite him?_ ). He and Mads had spent years empathizing as Hannibal and Will and had flirted with each other. But were they Hannibal and Will, or Mads and Hugh? The fine line that divided them from their characters seemed to be fading. Will Graham probably wanted that kiss, but him? Did he want it?

In the evening Hugh returned to his apartment and went to bed to read the script again. When it started to get late, he put away the script and turned off the light. Even though he had been on set all day, Hugh didn't feel tired at all. In fact, he felt awake. He couldn't help but think about the next day's shooting and the fact that very soon he would have to separate from Mads. He tossed and turned in bed, but nothing helped and he still could not fall asleep.

Unexpectedly, his cell phone began to vibrate. It was 2.30 a.m. Who would call him at that hour? He had a suspicion. Hugh looked at the screen and felt a dip in his heart. It was Mads. With his hands shaking, he answered the phone.

"Mads?"

"Hugh? I didn't wake you up, did I?" Mads' voice was low and deep.

"No, I can't sleep."

"Neither can I. Why can't you sleep?"

"I don't know, I guess it's because of tomorrow's shoot." Hugh admitted.

"The same goes for me. You know, I was thinking about the cliff scene, when Hannibal tells Will – ‘This is all I ever wanted for you, Will. For both of us’- and Will replies- ‘It's beautiful’"

"Nice, huh? Bryan knows what he's doing." Hugh replied.

"I can't deal with the fact that Will decides to jump off the cliff with Hannibal. Finally they are together, they killed the Dragon together and Will indirectly told him that he returned his love. I would have expected a different ending, you know?" Mads argued.

"Such as?"

" Hannibal and Will kiss and instead of ending up in the ocean they run away and hide from Jack?"

Hugh had an amused laugh.

"Not bad, maybe in a nice warm place, as you suggested, to sip cocktails."

"That's right. It's a romantic ending to Bryan, but at this point in the story Hannibal and Will can also indulge in a moment of happiness after everything they've been through together. By now they've shown their cards and they know how they feel about each other. It would be quite natural to look for more physical contact."

Hugh almost blushed when he heard Mads' words.

"I guess so..." he could only say.

"Do you think otherwise?"

Hugh took a second before answering.

"Perhaps Will is not ready for this. He is in love with Hannibal, but he hasn’t accepted himself, his true nature yet. Also, he needs time to forgive him. It's not an easy thing, but surely the finale is the beginning of something new." He answered.

"You're right, Hannibal would wait for him as long as it takes. He loves him so much that he would do anything to make him happy. Who knows what awaits us in season four. Aren't you curious to find out?" Mads asked.

"I am, but until the renewal announcement comes, I'm a little tense."

"Me too. You'll see, it's going to be okay. We have to stay positive. I really want to get back to work with you soon." Mads said. Hugh felt his heartbeat accelerate. He didn't want to think about the time he would have to say goodbye to Mads.

"Me too, Mads. Me too."

"Okay, I've disturbed you enough tonight. It's better if we try to get some sleep..."

Hugh smiled to himself. This phone call had been the most beautiful surprise of the whole day.

"You never bother me. Anyway, good night Mads."

"Good night, Hugh."

Hugh hung up and put his cell phone away. After this call, he struggled even harder to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to pisces714 for proofreading my work.


	5. Three Steps Over Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugh grabbed Mads' arm more firmly and tried to intensify the kiss.  
> Now that he had discovered Heaven, he didn't want to go down. He felt like he was three steps over heaven and it was Mads who made him feel this powerful euphoria.  
> At that moment it seemed to him like a dream, it was even more beautiful, he felt so complete.

Hugh had never felt so agitated because of a scene. That morning he barely had breakfast because his stomach was upset. He arrived on set well in advance thinking he was alone but, to his surprise, he found Mads there. When Mads saw him, he gave him a sweet smile. A smile Hugh would remember forever.

"Are you ready?" Mads asked visibly thrilled.

"I am." Hugh responded and looked at him with his sex kitten look. Mads observed him smugly.

The two began to make small talk to hide the excitement at the idea of shooting the last scene together. Bryan was not on set, but he had left specific instructions with the promise that he would reach them later to see how the scene came out.

When it was time to film, Hugh and Mads set out to be dressed and made up and waited to shoot the scene. Hugh was afraid of not being able to perform well because of his agitation, but when they started to film, Hugh fell completely into the role of Will Graham and his fear vanished instantly.

While they were shooting the scene, he and Mads were so close that Hugh could feel Mads' breath becoming one with his own. They had to pretend to breathe hard after the fight with the Red Dragon, but it seemed like everything was happening naturally. Hugh heard his heart drumming hard in his chest. Every time they repeated the scene, Mads' body and his were getting closer and closer, as if they were desperately looking for a deeper connection. Hugh was so taken by the moment that he got lost looking intensely at Mads, focusing on his lips.

At that moment he was not sure what he was doing. Again, he didn’t know if it was him or if it was Will who felt all this. What he knew was that he felt an overwhelming desire to approach Mads with his face. He did so as a spontaneous gesture, without even thinking about it. At that time, for him only he and Mads existed. There were no cameras, no crew. They were alone, just Hannibal and Will. Hugh looked intently at Mads, who hinted at a smile and whispered his name. Not Will's name. His.

Hugh sketched a smile. His gaze returned to focus on Mads' lips. At that moment they were so close that he could feel Mads breathing even more erratic and strained. He felt his warmth and his whole body desperately asked him to have more contact.

Maybe his body sent a clear message to Mads, or maybe Mads just did it on his own. In fact, the inevitable happened. Without any warning, Mads' lips touched his gently. At that moment, Hugh thought he was going crazy. It seemed to him that his heart had stopped the moment their lips met. As soon as he felt Mads' mouth press against his, Hugh closed his eyes and responded to the kiss. It all happened so unexpectedly and so quickly that Hugh didn't have time to realize what was going on around them. It did not really matter: at that moment he would not have detached himself from those lips for anything in the world.

The kiss was so natural, so.... _(right?)_. Yes, that was right. Hugh realized it was what he wanted, what he’d wanted for a long time. Neither of them had planned it, it had simply happened.

Mads' lips were soft and slightly moist: they massaged his gently, seeking more intimacy. Hugh grabbed Mads' arm more firmly and tried to intensify the kiss. Now that he had discovered Heaven, he didn't want to go down. He felt like he was three steps over heaven and it was Mads who made him feel this powerful euphoria. At that moment it seemed to him like a dream, it was even more beautiful, he felt so complete.

His dream, however, was abruptly interrupted by a thunderous "STOP!".

Both Hugh and Mads hesitated to separate their lips, they didn’t want to interrupt that beautiful kiss. They heard someone call their names and, still stunned, they forced themselves to separate.

"Sorry, but...no kiss was planned...." they were told.

Hugh and Mads held on to each other and looked at the crew with hostility for interrupting that intimate and perfect moment.

“It's true, but it all came so naturally! I think it came out so well!" Mads asserted with pride, flaunting an innocent smile.

Hugh looked at Mads bewildered. He felt feverish and sweaty. He couldn't believe they kissed. That Mads kissed him.

The co-director looked at them puzzled.

"You're going to have to explain this to Bryan... I don’t want to be involved!" he said.

"Of course, Hugh and I will tell him, won't we, Hugh?" Mads looked him straight in the eyes and Hugh felt himself melt like an ice cream in the sun. His legs felt like jelly. The only rigid thing about his body was....

Hugh felt himself invested in a sense of indescribable shame because he realized that his cock was hard in his pants. And he wasn't the only one in that situation. Still holding onto Mads, he clearly felt his friend's erection against his belly.

Luckily in that position the only ones who knew about it were him and Mads, who was looking at him mischievously. Hugh blushed terribly and swallowed hard. What could he do now?

"Yes...."Hugh stammered.

"See? No problem!" Mads said. He appeared so relaxed.

Hugh didn't know how he could be like that. He couldn't even figure out what planet he was on, let alone come up with a sensible answer! Perhaps that kiss was not as important to Mads as it was to him, but his erection proved otherwise. Maybe it was a simple physical response to the kiss and nothing more. He could not be sure.

Hugh felt greatly embarrassed for letting himself go so much. He really got carried away. How could he? To hell with it! He loved it. At that moment he didn’t want anything else so desperately. He would have most likely done it again.

Their faces were still dangerously close, so much so that Hugh would have done anything to taste Mads' lips again. Without realizing it, he licked his lips. Mads looked at him with a lustful air and he hinted at a smile. For a few moments they stood still and looked at each other. Hugh loosened his grip on Mads' shoulder and Mads did the same. During the kiss, Mads had clung to him by grabbing his hips.

"Are you all right?" Mads decided to ask.

"More or less..." Hugh blushed. His cock was still hard and pulsating.

Mads smiled and surprisingly broke away from him. Hugh felt terribly exposed. Before anyone could see his condition, he quickly made his way to the dressing rooms. Mads disappeared too.

Hugh went to lock himself in a dressing room. He sighed deeply, leaning his body against the door. His heart was beating like a drum. His face was burning, his body was hot. His erection was still there. Hugh breathed deeply. He had to try to get over it as soon as possible. He couldn’t go back to the set in that condition, and they’d be looking for him soon enough. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about what had happened. He focused on other thoughts and after a couple of minutes he cooled off. When he felt ready, Hugh opened the door and crossed the threshold knowing that nothing would be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to pisces714 for proofreading my work.


	6. Hearts And Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title "Hearts and Minds" is inspired by an episode of one of my fav TV shows: Lost.  
> Hope you'll like it :)  
> Happy New Year!  
> As always, I want to thank pisces714 for proofreading my work.

When Hugh returned to the set, there was no trace of Mads. Hugh looked around disoriented and felt uncomfortable. The crew looked at him curiously. He felt observed. Perhaps rushing into the dressing room had attracted too much attention. He had mixed feelings: on the one hand he felt thrilled after that kiss. On the other, he was scared. Hugh tried to be positive. After all, it was done and things could not get any worse.

“HUGH!”

Hugh turned his head. Oh no, Bryan!

Bryan walked up on him and Hugh froze. He knew that Bryan had just watched what they had filmed.

Right at the moment, Mads came out of nowhere to his rescue. Hugh felt Mads' hand caressing his back and felt a shiver running down his spine.

“Bryan!” Mads began with a voice full of emotion.

“We really went for it!” Mads said enthusiastically. Hugh smiled.

Bryan looked at Mads first, then Hugh. Hugh bit his lip and tried to drown his amused smile.

“You actually went a little too far…” Bryan answered by raising his eyebrow.

“You know, we couldn’t resist.” Mads answered with a proud and pleased air. Hugh looked at him.

“Oh I’ve noticed! But this is not a fan fiction guys… as much as it would make the fans happy.” Bryan shrugged his shoulders and looked at them.

“Why not make them happy?! C’mon Bryan, it turned out so well!” Mads insisted.

“We’ll see. Anyway, you were really very good, my congrats! I couldn’t be more proud.” Bryan answered with a sweet smile.

Hugh could read Mads' disappointment in his eyes. He seemed to care so much about that scene, as if he didn’t want that moment to be archived and forgotten. Hugh felt a squeeze on his heart. He didn’t want it either.

By now the shooting was over and Hugh greeted the crew. With the corner of his eye he tried to check Mads' movements so as not to lose sight of him. Bryan approached Hugh and hugged him tightly with the promise that he would hear from him again as soon as he had news on season 4. Hugh returned the hug, but in that moment he realized he had lost sight of Mads. After he said goodbye to his friend Bryan, Hugh went in search of Mads. He looked everywhere, but there was no trace of him. How could he have gone without even saying goodbye? Hugh felt a deep melancholy. He had gone from a feeling of euphoria to a feeling of sadness. He wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to him, but he wanted to see him so bad before leaving. Just one more time.

Desperate, he left the set alone.

That night Hugh, no matter how much he tried, couldn't get to sleep. He felt sick at the idea that the filming was over and that there was still no news of the renewal. But the thing that had psychologically destroyed him was that Mads didn’t say goodbye to him. He couldn't understand why Mads didn’t. Was it because of what happened? He didn’t know. He continued to relive the moment of their kiss. That kiss touched him deeply and he couldn't get it out of his head. He didn't know if Mads felt the same, but inside he hoped he did. Maybe in this moment he was thinking about their kiss too.

Hugh felt bad that he couldn't say goodbye to Mads, but maybe it was for the better. It would have been too hard, especially after what they shared.

The sound of his cell phone startled him. It was late at night, the only person who could call him at that time was…

Hugh accepted the call.

"Mads?"

"Hugh, did I wake you up?"

"No, I was awake." Hugh merely said. He didn't know the reason for the call, so he preferred to wait to hear what Mads had to say.

"I owe you an apology, Hugh. I didn't come to say goodbye." Mads said in a low voice.

"I must admit that I felt a bit disappointed and sad, I did not expect it. I was afraid there would be no more opportunities to say goodbye." Hugh admitted by lowering his guard a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you like that... after what...." Mads froze. Hugh gasped and waited.

"After, well, the kiss. I had mixed feelings. It's hard for me to have to say goodbye to everybody, to say goodbye to you."

Hugh swallowed hard. He didn't expect Mads to talk to him so openly.

"Same for me." Hugh said instinctively.

"Is this reason why you couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah, I don't like when we finish filming a season. I don’t like to say goodbye to everyone. But mainly for the scene we shot." Hugh managed to say.

He didn't know if he should have said it, but why keep that to himself? What was the point? He and Mads had always talked honestly about everything. He could no longer contain his feelings. He was exploding. Right now, talking on the phone with Mads in the middle of the night, was much easier than talking to him face to face.

"The same goes for me. I know, I kissed you instinctively, but I couldn't resist: I was standing there, we were so close. You're a handsome man, Hugh."

When Mads told him those words, Hugh could feel his body go up in flames. He couldn't believe Mads had told him that. He missed his breath.

"You are too, Mads....I....I can't find the words....it was, very nice. Really."

Hugh struggled to speak. His breathing had turned more uneven and he felt..... _(horny?)_

"It was nice for me too... If they hadn't stopped us, I don't know if I'd be able to... to stop kissing you."

Was it just his impression, or was Mads breathing hard? Hugh was starting to feel excited. He was getting an erection. He should have stopped the call before the situation evolved.

"I wish you'd kept kissing me, Mads. At that moment I would have liked it more than anything. I don't know what got into me. At some point I didn't know what I was doing. You were so close to me and ... well, I lost control." Hugh said hearing Mads' breath getting more and more uneven. Hugh didn't want to admit it, but he knew it had excited Mads.

This shocked and flattered him at the same time. In one day Mads had two erections because of him. The same thing had happened to him. It was happening to him. He shouldn't have had these thoughts, but now it was impossible to hold back. He felt his hard cock in his underwear asking to be freed. In that moment, he wanted to be with Mads and redo the finale. He wanted to kiss Mads’ lips again.

"I've noticed. You know, I lost it too.....You got me excited, Hugh."

Hugh stiffened and put his hand on his cock in an involuntary gesture. Unintentionally, he let out a groan.

On the other end, Hugh could hear Mads gasping slightly. He was sure Mads was touching himself. He was in desperate need to hear his voice.

"You too… and you're exciting me even now."

The words came out so naturally. What they were doing was a very dangerous game, but apparently neither of them wanted to end the call. He didn't know why it was happening now. Maybe it was because of that kiss. Neither of them were thinking lucidly because of that damn kiss.

"Tell me what are you thinking." Mads asked.

Hugh closed his eyes and put his hand into his underwear. He began massaging his hard cock and testicles in a circular motion.

"Of your lips on mine. I would like...."

"What?" Mads' voice was almost desperate. Hugh could not hold back and began to stroke himself in earnest. His heart was in his throat.

"I would like it if you put your tongue into my mouth."

Hugh couldn't believe he was telling him such a thing. His blood probably wasn't flowing into the right part of the body. He opened his eyes and he looked at his hard and pulsating cock.

On the other side of the phone, he could hear Mads gasping. Hugh was no longer in control of himself. He felt a sense of contentment to make his friend enjoy. He wanted to make him feel good. He needed to do this with Mads. He wasn’t able to control what was happening right now. _(Maybe didn’t he want to?)_

"Hugh..." Mads was only able to mumble.

Hugh continued to masturbate with frenetic movements. Mads' voice was driving him crazy. It was so deep and sensual.  
Now uninhibited, he let another groan of pleasure slip. He wanted Mads to feel that he was enjoying it with him.

"Mads....."

"Talk to me. Don't stop." Mads asked panting.

"Mads I wish you were here. I'd like to kiss you again... oh God, I'd like to feel your mouth..."

"Don’t stop...." Mads begged.

“I want to feel your lips on me. I want to taste you so bad.”

Hugh knew he was close. What he was saying to Mads, he meant it. He wasn’t pretending just to please his friend.

“Me too….”

"Fuck! I want you Mads!"

There was a moment of silence. Hugh’s mind returned to the time when they kissed. He could still smell Mads’ scent and feel his hard cock against his thigh. His beautiful eyes glued to his.

Physically and mentally he felt attracted to his friend, he couldn't help it. Mads was so damn hot.

"Mads..." Hugh gasped, biting his lip. He moved his hand up and down his cock in despair. He was so close.

“Hugh…Oh, Hugh…”

Hugh loved hearing Mads saying his name. His voice was driving him crazy.

“Ohh, Mads..I’m close!!”

The arousal was so intense that within moments both Hugh and Mads reached orgasm. Hugh came hard and he released his hot sperm abundantly on his belly.

“Oh fuck Mads!!” he said stroking his cock until he began to soften. His orgasm was so intense that he lost his breath.

They both took a few seconds to compose themselves. Hugh felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment. He couldn’t believe what they had just done. It all happened so naturally and he enjoyed every second of it. Thinking about the kiss, about Mads, gave him one of the best orgasms he ever had in his life.

"Mads, are you still there?" Hugh asked breathing hard.

He wanted to share with him these thoughts. He wanted him to know that what happened between them meant something to him. After this, they would have talked about it. Hugh imagined for a moment that Mads invited him to his apartment. What would have happened then? Would Hugh have accepted the invitation? He probably would. This thought made him feel thrilled. If Mads wanted to go for another round, he would have gone for it. Hell, yes. Mads was so addictive.

On the other side he heard only a slight sigh.

"Hugh....I....I have to go."

Mads ended the phone call. Hugh laid motionless with his phone in his hand. He didn’t expect the call to end like this. He was hoping for something else. As much as it hurt him, he could understand Mads' reaction. Hugh respected him too much to not call him back. When Mads was ready, he'd call him. He would wait. Mads probably needed to take his time to digest all of this. Maybe he needed to. What had just happened could change their friendship forever.

Hugh closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Several thoughts began to grip him and he did not sleep all night.


	7. The World Before You (We Are Mountains Overlooking The Sea)

The news of the Hannibal cancellation came out of the blue. The fact that they had waited for an answer in itself had not been a good omen, but until the last minute they had all hoped for the best.

When Bryan called, Hugh was home. He knew right away what Bryan had to tell him. He didn’t need to say a word. It wasn’t necessary. Hugh almost stopped breathing. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and had to sit down. Bryan was almost crying on the phone and Hugh felt a lump in his throat. Bryan told him he hoped to find a solution somehow. He couldn’t let his show go so easily. He just couldn’t. He added that he had already called Mads. When they talked on the phone, Mads seemed deeply shocked and upset.

When Bryan asked him if he had already spoken to him, Hugh said no, that he had not heard from him yet. Strange, but true.

"I'm sure he'll call you soon." Bryan said to him.

"Maybe...." Hugh remained vague. He hadn't heard from him in a while. More precisely, from that night when that “thing” happened.

"Why don't you try calling him? Don't you feel up to it?" Bryan asked without wanting to be intrusive.

"Not right now."

"It must be very difficult for you. I know you're very close. I understand how you're feeling now."

Hugh was surprised by the way he said it, as if he was aware of something. As if he knew that their friendship was much deeper than was thought.

"It's hard. Maybe I'll call him. I don't know. I need some time." Hugh responded, feeling confused. All this seemed like a dream to him. In fact, a very bad nightmare. If this wasn't real and it was just a bad dream, he wanted to wake up right away.

"Of course, I understand. If you need anything, you know you can call me. I'm working on finding a network to pick up Hannibal. Let me give it a few tries, okay? Maybe something will come up. I'll keep you up to date." Bryan promised him.

"I'm counting on it. Thank you Bryan. I'll hear from you soon." Hugh answered with his voice trembling.

"I promise."

When Bryan ended the phone call, Hugh put the phone away. He put his hands on his face and burst into tears.

Soon after the cancellation, Hugh received a phone call from his manager who offered him a role in a show that featured Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan. Hugh had the script sent and without thinking too much about it, he accepted the role. The motivations that drove him to do so were mainly two: the first was that the role was very interesting and inspiring to him and he would collaborate with two amazing and talented people. The second was that he was out of a job and needed to jump into a new project to keep his mind busy. The truth, though, was that he needed to forget Mads. Hugh had been thinking about what happened between them ever since. Mads was always in his thoughts. Not a day went by without him thinking of Mads. He missed his friend so much. He missed spending time with him. He missed his smile, his jokes, his voice. He missed everything about him.

Hugh felt pathetic. Mads was probably engaged in other things and wasn't thinking about him at all. Neither had called the other after the Hannibal cancellation. Hugh never found the courage to send him a message or to call him. He was afraid to burst into tears and look like an idiot. That was the way it was and no one could do anything about it. He shouldn't torment himself like this. Now he had to be strong and focus on his new job.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later Hugh was at the grocery store. As he tried to get the toilet paper from the top shelf, he heard his phone ringing. Annoyed, he pulled it out and looked at the screen. As soon as he read the name he felt faint. It was Mads.

For a moment he stood motionless and decided what to do. Maybe it was better to let the phone ring and postpone the conversation. He didn't feel ready to hear his voice now. Too many memories. Hugh stood still staring at the phone, but it didn't stop ringing. Maybe Mads had to tell him something important... Maybe…

"Mads...." Hugh said after he decided to answer him.

"Hugh? Why didn't you answer me?!"

Hugh was astonished. Why did he have that grumpy tone with him?

"I'm at the grocery store, I couldn't find my phone." He lied.

"Bullshit. You didn't want to answer me!"

Hugh knew there was something strange. Mads was not himself. He was probably drunk because his speech was starting to slur.

"Are you drunk?" he asked in a low voice.

"Don't change the subject! Why didn't you want to answer me?"

Hugh felt uneasy. He looked around. The aisle was clear.

"I told you, I couldn't find my phone. Rather, why did you decide to call me?"

Hugh felt..... _(angry?)_ He had been waiting for this phone call for so long and he didn’t picture it like this. This was so… _(painful?)_

"Rather, why didn't you?"

"I thought you were too busy." Hugh lied again. He didn't know what was the best thing to do in this delicate situation. Mads was drunk and apparently pissed off about something, so little was needed to give satisfactory answers.

"You certainly are now. You've already forgotten about me, haven't you?" Mads replied in an accusatory tone. He seemed to harbor a deep frustration. It made him feel bad.

In that moment Hugh was so frustrated. Of course he hadn’t forgotten him! How could he?

Hugh wanted to scream. He didn't want to argue with Mads. It never happened before.

"What are you saying, Mads?"

"Don't walk away from this. I heard you accepted that role and your colleague is Aaron Paul. So, did he make you forget about me? Was it that easy?"

Hugh almost felt a sense of guilt.

"Mads, Aaron is a colleague of mine and...."

Mads didn't let him finish the sentence.

"I am too, and yet..." Mads left the sentence suspended tactically.

"It's not what you think. All right? Please explain to me why you're attacking me like this! Are you going to tell me what I did to you?" Hugh asked, raising his voice.

He didn't care if someone were to hear him. What he needed now was a good cry. He didn't know why he was reacting like this, but Mads was making him feel bad. His words were like burning embers.

On the other end there was silence. Hugh feared that Mads would hang up on him.

"Because I miss you! Fuck!" Mads yelled.

Hugh was speechless. He tried to speak, but no sound came out of his mouth.

"I miss you, all right? It doesn't matter if I have other commitments, if I have a busy life... I miss you all the same. You don't know how bad I feel about the fact that our show has been cancelled."

Hugh felt something crushing his heart. He couldn't stand to hear those words. He could feel his pain. He knew because he was feeling the same way.

"Mads, me too. Believe me, I'm feeling just as bad you. I took the job because I need it, you know?"

"Why?"

"Because I need it." Hugh insisted. In that moment he realized that a short distance from him there was a lady who was staring at him badly. Hugh looked at her annoyed and turned to the other side.

"Why?????" Mads didn’t want to let it go.

"Because it's my only chance to forget you! It’s the only way not to think about Hannibal, not to think about what happened between us!"

Hugh was shaking like a leaf. Okay, he said it. Damage was done. He prayed that Mads would forget what he just said.

"I don't want you to forget me." Mads said with a sad voice.

"How can I go on then? I need to distract myself, Mads. Don't make it any harder, please."

"Tell me you miss me and you want to see me." Mads said suddenly. Hugh sighed. What was the point? Why were they having this crazy conversation right now? Mads was drunk, what good would it do now?

Hugh wasted precious time thinking about all these things. Mads didn't get a response and hung up. Now, anything he wanted to tell him, he couldn’t tell him anymore. Hugh felt like an idiot. It wasn’t how he wanted his first call with Mads in a long time to end. He screwed up. He tried to make up for it and called him back, but Mads did not respond. Hugh sighed and massaged his forehead. Desperate, he walked to the checkout line.

"It’s rude to listen to other’s conversations, ma'am." He instinctively told to the woman who kept staring at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The World Before You (We Are Mountains Overlooking The Sea" is an Italian song "Il Mondo Prima Di Te (Siamo Montagne A Picco Sul Mare)". I was listening to it when I wrote this Chapter and I was inspired by it.


	8. Revelations

Hugh barely slept that night. In the little time he managed to sleep, he had an erotic dream about Mads: they were in the trailer and they were arguing about something. At some point, Mads suddenly stripped naked in front of him. His cock was hard. 

“Look what you’ve done to me, Hugh.” 

Hugh was speechless. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He just stared at Mads’ huge hard cock. His pupils were dilated. 

“I want you so bad, Hugh.”

Mads hugged him and started rubbing on him. He kissed his neck passionately and began to simulate a sexual act by pushing his cock between his legs. Hugh remained still the whole time, shocked and full of lust. He didn’t know what to do. He was afraid that if he started to kiss or touch Mads, he wouldn’t be able to stop. He let Mads blow off some steam. Mads came hard on Hugh’s pants.

“Mads, you got my pants all dirty, what’s Bryan gonna say now?” Hugh asked him. 

Then, he moved his hand where Mads came. He touched Mads’ sperm with his two fingers and he put them into his mouth. He wanted to taste Mads. If he had the chance, he would have put his fingers into his own ass. He would have pretended it was Mads’ hard cock inside of him.

“Hugh….”

Hugh woke up suddenly with a boner. He was forced to go to the bathroom to jerk off to get over it. He fell asleep again shortly after and this time he dreamed that Bryan bought a boat and that they went together to Los Angeles to fish. Every time they pulled up a fish, Bryan yelled “Fish! Fish!”.

When Hugh woke up in the morning, he thought about how stupid that dream was. The previous dream came to his mind when he was having breakfast. The more he thought about it, the more he felt upset and embarrassed. He remembered that in the middle of the night he jerked off in the bathroom thinking about Mads. In the dream he tasted Mads’ sperm. Did he know why he did what he did? Yes, because he desperately wanted something of Mads to remain in him. He wanted to feel him close. If he had tasted a part of him, then maybe he wouldn’t have missed him so much, because a small part of Mads would always be with him.

Hugh felt confused. He had never dreamt of such a thing in his life. Was he so desperate? Was he so hungry for Mads? How did he get this far? What was happening to him? 

Hugh knew that he screwed everything up the day before. Mads did not deserve this. 

Hugh thought about it for hours. He needed to rectify his mistake or he would regret it. He didn’t want Mads to think he didn’t care. Actually, he didn’t even know if he remembered the phone call after he got drunk, but that couldn’t stop him from being honest with him. Did Mads need to know the whole story? The truth? No. He couldn’t get that far. But he owed him an apology. 

Hugh picked up his phone and wrote a simple and clear message: “I miss you.” 

He sent it and sighed. 

For hours Hugh kept checking his phone hoping to find a message from Mads. During the day he left the house and received only a couple of messages from other friends. His mother called him once. Every time he heard the phone vibrate, Hugh checked out who wrote to him. He felt like a stupid teenager.

After several hours, Hugh began to doubt whether he would receive an answer. Maybe Mads remembered everything and was so mad at him that he didn’t want to talk to him anymore. At the very thought, Hugh felt bad. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing Mads. Their friendship meant everything to him, and yet he was unable to show him how much he cared.

On his way home, Hugh heard his phone ring. He snorted, sure it was still his mom or who knows who else. But it was him. It was Mads.   
This time Hugh did not hesitate and answered immediately.

“Mads?”

“You didn’t write me the other thing.” Mads said to him. From the voice he seemed sober. Hugh instantly understood what he was talking about. The day before, Mads asked him to tell him that he missed him and that he wanted to see him. Well, now he was sure he remembered yesterday’s conversation.

“Mads… I apologize for yesterday. I’m sorry for how I answered you and…”

Mads didn’t let him finish his sentence. 

“Hugh, I was drunk and I shouldn’t have called you. I attacked you for no reason. You have to excuse me.”

“No, listen… it doesn’t matter, okay? I don’t want to have a discussion like this with you again. It makes me sick. I care too much about you, about our friendship. At this moment I feel like I’m living in a bubble and I feel so frustrated and sad… I don’t know what I want, but certainly I don’t want to lose you, Mads.” Hugh admitted.

“So, are you going to tell me what I asked you?” 

Hugh was sure that Mads was smiling. He could feel it.

“I miss you, and yes, I want to see you.” Hugh did not hesitate this time. It was true, he missed him and he wanted to see him so bad. Unfortunately, he knew it wouldn’t be possible. Why did Mads want him to tell him this? What was the point?

“Hugh, in a few days I’ll be in Berlin for the premiere of my movie Men & Chicken. I want you to come with me.”

Hugh was amazed. What? Where? The Premiere? Together?!?

"You... Do you want me to come with... with you as….?" Hugh couldn’t say it. 

"Yes, that's right. Would you like to come with me?"

Hugh felt a shiver of excitement. 

"How... as your....?" 

Hugh didn't know if it was appropriate to say it, but he knew that they both meant it as his date.

"Yes, that. What do you say? I will arrange everything and..."

Hugh interrupted him.

"Yes!" he said directly. His heart was beating fast in his chest. In a few days, he'd see Mads. He was already feeling excited. 

"I'm glad you said yes. I’ll organize everything and I’ll keep you posted. I'm coming to pick you up at the airport, ok?" 

Hugh felt thrilled at the idea.

"Ok, Mads..."

"Great. I can't wait to see you."

"Me too."

When they ended the phone call, Hugh smiled excitedly. He didn't know how many opportunities there would be to see each other in the future, so he would make this meeting special.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the day of departure, Hugh felt more excited than ever. He went to the airport and the plane took off.   
When he finally arrived in Berlin, despite the hours of flight, he did not feel tired at all. At arrivals Hugh looked around for Mads, but did not see him. For a moment Hugh panicked. Then he turned around and saw Mads coming towards him with a smile. Hugh left his bag and instinctively hugged him tightly. Mads squeezed him and stroked his back.

"You cut your hair." That was the first thing Mads said. Hugh smiled.

"Yes, I'm a little less Will Graham now."

"But still handsome." Mads answered and looked at him softly. Hugh melted into his smile. At that moment he would never break away from Mads. His presence was like a drug to him.

"I missed you so much." He only managed to say. 

"I missed you, too. Come, I'll take you to our hotel."

Hugh smiled when he heard Mads saying "our". Mads made sure they stayed together for an entire weekend. It was the most they could afford between engagements. Better than nothing.

Hugh nodded and reached for his bag. 

"I'll take this to the car, if you will." Mads said and took it in his place. Hugh was flattered by this gesture of gallantry. 

"Thank you."

They walked out of the airport. A car was waiting right outside. Along the way Hugh and Mads made small talk and most of the time they couldn't stop making eye contact.


	9. Closure

When they arrived at their beautiful luxury hotel, Mads accompanied Hugh to the front desk. Mads had made sure that they had adjacent rooms.

They went up together and they separated to go to their own room.

Once in his room, Hugh took his clothes out of his bag and went to take a hot shower. Seeing Mads after long time, under these special circumstances, was even more intense than he expected. In that moment he had mixed feelings. He felt excited to show up at the Premiere as his date, but he was also nervous. For the first time, Hugh was feeling very exposed. He didn’t know if this time he would be able to hide his feelings. _(maybe he didn’t want to?)_

While he was washing his body, Hugh had an erection. Hugh wanted to believe that his erection was just a physical reaction, but he knew that it was more than that. He was horny. He was horny because of Mads. Knowing that he needed to let off steam before seeing Mads again, he jerked off vehemently under the water jet until he ejaculated against the shower wall.

After his orgasm, he stayed under the water jet and enjoyed the moment. He wasn’t supposed to feel like he was feeling in that moment. He was pleased by the fact that he came hard against the shower wall. It was kinky because while he was stroking his wet and hard cock he thought about Mads. Yes, Mads was his gold ticket to Heaven. Mads was able to stimulate him even without touching him. He didn’t need to be in his room or be around him. Hugh just had to think about him. Easy and smoothly. Mads, Mads, Mads, Mads, Mads.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he felt ready, Hugh came out of the shower and began to get dressed. He didn’t feel ashamed for what he did. He wondered if Mads did the same thing in his room, or if he ever masturbated thinking about him. Probably not.  
Hugh looked at himself in the mirror. He wanted to look good _(sexy?)_. Why? Well, because it was a public event. He needed to look good. _(or maybe he just wanted to seduce Mads?)_

Deep down, Hugh had some expectations. Mads cared about him, probably more than any of his other friends. He could have called another friend as his date, but he decided to call him instead. His choice meant something, even though they both tried to gloss over this little detail.

Hugh's thoughts were interrupted by Mads’ voice. He was outside of his room.

"Hugh, are you ready?"

Hugh kept looking at himself in front of the mirror. His hands were shaking a little.

"I am! Just a second…"

Hugh went to open the door and greeted Mads with a sweet smile. Even though they weren't close, he could smell Mads' intoxicating scent.

"You look great!" Mads commented.

"You too." Hugh looked at him a little shyly.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes.."

They walked out of the room together and got into the elevator. They tried to stay as close as possible, as if to seek physical contact. It was inevitable. Right outside, a car was waiting for them.

Mads and Hugh got in the car and stayed silent for a while.

"Do your... colleagues know that I'm here?" Hugh asked. Mads looked at him softly.

"Yes, I told them. Are you nervous?"

Hugh looked at him with a lost kitten look.

"Just a little bit." He admitted.

"There's no reason to feel nervous. It's going to be okay." Mads reassured him by taking his hand unexpectedly. Hugh blushed at the contact and impulsively intertwined his hand with Mads'. He looked at him with a seductive look.

Mads looked at him smugly and with his thumb he caressed the back of Hugh’s hand gently. Hugh couldn't believe they were doing such a thing. Such an intimate thing. At that very moment he promised himself one thing: he would not hold back with Mads. He would do what he wanted to do. He didn't want to have any kind of regret.

Hugh smiled. After months, he finally felt good. He felt free. He would have wished that this moment had lasted forever.  
When they arrived, Hugh's heart began to beat faster. Their hands parted and they got out of the car. Mads' colleagues were already waiting for them.

"Mads!" someone called. It was his colleague and dear friend David Dencik. Mads nodded to say hello. Hugh felt a little nervous, but Mads put his arm on his hip while they were approaching David to make him feel safe.

"Hey, Mads! Finally!"

David hugged Mads and then smiled at Hugh. Hugh smiled back and they shook hands.

"It's a real pleasure to meet you, Hugh! Mads told us a lot about you, we're glad to have you here!" David said.

Hugh almost felt himself blazing. Did Mads talk about him? He noticed that Mads was looking proudly at him, as if he were introducing who knows who _(his date?)_.  
Within a few moments Mads' other colleagues arrived. Everyone seemed so curious to meet Hugh. Hugh looked questioningly at Mads, who smiled at him in return. He started to feel more comfortable now that he realized that Mads’ colleagues were so friendly.

"Shall we go in?" Mads asked after they took a few pictures together. Hugh nodded. As soon as they set off, in a natural gesture, they held each other’s hands again. Hugh smiled smugly. It almost made him laugh when they arrived at the entrance and found a group of Fannibals waiting. No one was expecting to see Hugh there. Mads instinctively separated their hands and tried to avoid the cameras. Hugh almost laughed. He was in such a state of grace that he didn’t care at all.

They stopped to talk to the Fannibals and took some pictures holding a sign with the Save Hannibal hashtag. In that moment they looked into each other’s eyes and the rest of the world disappeared. Probably no one more than them would want their show to be saved. They would do anything to get back to work together because they missed each other so badly. If only a network picked up Hannibal... _(What would they do?)_.

In his mind, Hugh imagined another kiss with Mads. This thought triggered forbidden thoughts, and he was sure that the same thought came to Mads by the way he was looking at him lustfully. Hugh wanted to kiss him. He wanted Hannibal to be saved so they could film more beautiful and intimate scenes together. He wanted everything to go the way he wanted. To him, Hannibal had changed his life in every possible way.

As soon as they finished greeting the fans, they entered the building and exchanged a few words with the director and other guests.  
Inside the theatre, they sat down next to each other since Hugh was Mads’ guest. When the lights went down and the movie started, Hugh tried to focus on it. Seeing Mads as Elias was strange, but also funny. When he saw Elias jerking off, he started to feel so damn horny. He shouldn’t have dirty thoughts, especially in that moment, but he couldn’t help it. In his mind he was picturing Mads jerking off instead of his character. At this thought, Hugh blushed, but luckily no one could notice it because it was dark. Suddenly Mads moved closer to him and he whispered into his ear. Hugh’s heart started to beat faster and he stopped breathing for a moment. Mads’ voice was so sensual and deep and just hearing it, Hugh got hard.

They started to whisper into each other’s ears, and in the meantime Mads’ hand got closer to Hugh’s. Hugh felt Mads’ thumb close to his palm, and automatically he moved his hand until he reached Mads’. Both of them hesitated, but then Mads started to caress Hugh’s palm with his thumb. Hugh’s body was on fire. With an automatic gesture, he brought their hands together. He looked at Mads to see what was his reaction. Was he smiling? Was he serious? He wasn’t sure. He needed to know.

“Am I bothering you?” he whispered into Mads’ ear.

“Absolutely not.”

Mads bowed his face to Hugh’s hand and kissed it gently. When Hugh felt Mads’ lips on his skin, he closed his eyes. This sweet gesture made him so emotional. Now he knew their hands would never separate again for the duration of the film.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the screening, they were forced to separate their hands and stand up to go to the restaurant together with Mads’ colleagues. When they arrived there, Hugh sat at the table next to Mads'. He tried to look cool in front of Mads’ colleagues, but he was still excited about what happened before. He was still thinking about Mads’ gesture and the fact that they kept caressing their hands during the whole movie like two teenagers.

When someone asked them to take a pic together, Hugh put his hand on Mads’ shoulder as a possessive gesture. He didn’t know why he did it. He felt like he needed to do it.

During the dinner Hugh laughed amiably along with Mads and his colleagues. He remembered the time when Mads told him that he should make a film in Denmark. He would do it very willingly if everyone was as nice as Mads' colleagues.

When Mads got up to go smoke, Hugh stayed at the table and talked to the others. David got up and sat next to Hugh.

"We’re having fun, aren’t we?" David commented. Hugh took his glass and sipped the wine.

"Yes, indeed. I feel very good with you guys!" Hugh replied.

"Same here, Hugh. We're glad Mads was courageous and asked you to come with him. You are very important to him, but I imagine you already know it..."

Hugh looked at him hesitantly. Did Mads say anything to him? Or was it just a simple comment?

"Yes... well, he's very important to me, too. We've been friends for a long time and we've had a good relationship over the years. I'm lucky to have him as a friend and colleague." Hugh answered cautiously.

David made an ironic grimace. He got up from the seat and touched his shoulder.

"It's not because of your professional relationship that Mads brought you here, though." He said before leaving Hugh.

Hugh reflected on his words for a few moments. Was it so obvious that there was more? David was a close friend of Mads, so he knew him well. He must have noticed something or he knew something. He wanted to find out what he knew, but he didn’t want him to suspect anything.

When Mads returned, he looked at Hugh with a smile.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes…I was just…thinking…” Hugh replied vaguely.

“Thinking about what?” Mads asked.

“Nothing…nothing…just random thoughts.”

“Hugh, I know you’re lying. I know you too well. I’m supposing that you’re not going to tell me the truth….”

Mads came closer to Hugh and looked at him. Was he flirting?

“You’re supposing correctly. I’m not going to tell you.” Hugh laughed to cover the fact that he was feeling so attracted to Mads.  
Mads smiled and said nothing. Probably he suspected that these “random thoughts” were about him.

When Mads got up to smoke his second cigarette, Hugh hesitated for a few seconds and then decided to get up and go to him. This tension was killing him.

"Hey…” Mads said seeing him coming.

"Hey..."Hugh replied approaching him sensually. Mads lit his cigarette and took the first drag staring at him like a feline studying his prey. Hugh came dangerously close to him with a seductive look.

"Can I?" he asked, pointing to the cigarette. Mads looked at him visibly attracted. The air was full of electricity.

"Sure."

Hugh took Mads’ cigarette from his hand and put it to his mouth. As he took the first drag he looked into his friend’s eyes. Mads was sucked in by his sinful gaze. They both knew that Hugh was seducing him somehow, but apparently Mads was fine with that. Hugh handed the cigarette back to Mads, who brought it back to his mouth. Mads enjoyed the spot where Hugh had put his lips on it. Hugh smiled smugly and stole his cigarette again, bringing it into his mouth.

Mads looked at him thrilled.

"Mads?"

"Yes?"

"Let's go to the hotel." Hugh said directly. Mads did not answer, but he pulled his cigarette out of his hand and put it out in the ashtray nearby. Hugh didn’t need a verbal answer because Mads made it clear that he was going to follow him.

They went back inside and they announced that they were going to leave. The others were surprised because they thought they would attend the party after the dinner. Mads and Hugh came up with an excuse to leave. When their car picked them up, they reached the door to get inside. A fan stopped them in that moment and they posed for a picture. Then, they hurriedly got into the car and locked the door, hoping they wouldn't have any more interruptions.

The car had the windows blacked out and the driver could not see them and vice versa. Hugh made sure of this and let the car leave for their hotel. Instinctively, he grabbed Mads' face and kissed him by pressing his lips against Mads’ lips. In that moment it felt like his heart was bursting out of his chest. He shouldn't have done it, but he got to a point where he couldn't take it anymore.

At first, Mads stayed still, but then he relaxed and responded softly to Hugh's kiss. The kiss didn't last long because they both quickly broke it off to catch their breath. For a moment they looked at each other and then smiled. Neither of them said anything. Words were trivial.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they arrived at their hotel, they went to get their keys at the front desk and walked silently into the elevator. Hugh kept his gaze down and said nothing. The only thing he did was try to reach Mads' hand. Mads accepted his invitation and they held hands like they did during the screening. When they got to their floor, Mads didn’t say a thing, but he looked at Hugh as he wanted to invite him in. Hugh didn't know what he was getting into, but he didn't care. He followed his friend inside.

When Mads closed the door, he took Hugh's face with his hands and kissed him with impetuousness. In this kiss there was lust, desperation, desire. It was warm and passionate. Hugh induced Mads to open his mouth and slowly crept in his tongue. He started to massage Mads’ tongue with delicacy. Mads gladly accepted this invitation and responded by twirling his tongue around Hugh's. Their tongues began to struggle desperately really fast. Hugh clung to Mads' body and stroked his back with confidence. Mads seemed to appreciate the touch and came closer to his body, sinking his tongue into Hugh’s mouth.

Hugh muttered and pulled Mads' shirt to let off steam. Soon after, they had to separate to catch their breath. Mads stroked Hugh's face and looked at him softly.

"Are you all right?" Hugh asked breathing heavily.

"Yes." Mads answered before he returned to gently lay his lips on his. Hugh felt stunned by Mads' closeness and scent. He wanted to kiss him until they consumed each other’s lips. Hell, Mads was a great kisser, he had to admit it.

They kissed again slowly, savoring the moment. They were both excited and they could feel each other's erections pressed together. Neither of them gave much importance to the matter and continued to caress as their tongues danced in their hot mouths.  
At some point they found the strength to separate.

"Will you stay with me?" Mads asked.

"If it is want you want, yes."

"I want it." Mads said without hesitation.

Mads began to take off his clothes. Hugh imitated him and without embarrassment took it all off until he remained in his underwear. He could feel his hard cock pressing against his undies, but deep down, he wanted Mads to see how horny he was.

He watched Mads taking off his own clothes and his eyes fell on his visible erection. Mads didn’t seem ashamed to show him that he was hard. He went to the bed and signaled for Hugh to join him. Hugh stretched out on his side and looked into Mads' eyes. He looked so tender and vulnerable. Hugh put his hand on Mads’ hair and caressed him. His hair was soft as silk. Mads closed his eyes with the contact.  
Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath. Hugh couldn't resist and leaned over to kiss his friend again. The temptation was too strong and he would never be able to contain it. He felt the desperate need to feel his lips on his, to feel enveloped by the warmth of him.

Mads kissed him back and hugged Hugh tightly as if he no longer wanted to let him go. Hugh's tongue reached Mads’, and an energetic struggle began again. Hugh felt Mads' hard cock against his thigh and he knew his friend could feel his erection against his body too.  
For how long were they going to ignore the fact that they were both hard? Maybe the best thing to do was to behave well and maintain boundaries. For now, they were just kissing. They could just kiss, but it wasn’t what Hugh wanted.

Hugh decided to make the first move and caressed Mads' butt softly. Mads swelled and intensified the kiss. Hugh felt encouraged by that response and began to move his hand towards Mads’ crotch. He felt Mads' breath get more uneven. Hugh wanted to please his friend more than anything. For a moment he decided to stop the kiss and look straight into Mads' eyes. He had to figure out if he was giving him the green light. Mads looked at Hugh with his shiny eyes and moved his hips forward to let him know that he wanted more. Now surely, Hugh began to move his hand around Mads' testicles with circular movements. Mads gasped and uttered a groan of pleasure. Hugh stroked him more decisively and finally put his hand inside Mads' underwear.

Mads gasped once again and searched for his friend’s lips again. Hugh felt terribly excited and, blinded by desire he grabbed Mads’ hard cock and began to masturbate it slowly. Mads responded by sinking his tongue back into his mouth. Hugh surprisingly felt Mads' hand on his hard cock. Pleased, he separated from Mads’ lips and he went down to Mads’ neck. He started to suck his skin vehemently. Meanwhile, he began to stroke Mads’ cock with fast and regular movements.

"Mmmh Hugh!" Mads moaned. Hugh harmoniously led his hand up and down on his cock.

Mads courageously slipped his hand into Hugh's underwear and pulled out his hard cock.

"Mads.. yes....." Hugh gasped, detaching himself a moment from his neck.

Mads began to slide his hand back and forth until he got a quick and decisive movement.

"Oh God Mads.. fuck yes!!!!" Hugh said devoured by pleasure. Their lips met again and their tongues clashed greedily. Hugh spread his legs a little to make it easier for Mads to move as he was masturbating him.

"I'm close, Hugh" Mads warned, breathing heavily. Hugh went to kiss his chin.

"Me too..." he whispered with shortness of breath. Mads continued to masturbate him vehemently. Their bodies quivered with pleasure. Hugh could feel his body on fire. Feeling Mads’ athletic body and his hand around his hard cock sent him into ecstasy. Mads was so handsome and also so good at masturbating him. Apparently he just discovered another one of Mads’ innate qualities. The way he was moving his hand was so graceful and also synchronized to his. Hugh knew he wouldn't be able to hold back for much longer, the excitement was too much and he wanted to reach orgasm with him.

A few moments later Mads ejaculated abundantly between Hugh's thighs and Hugh followed him and released his sperm on Mads' belly. When they came, they both groaned with pleasure and relaxed their bodies. They took a few moments to recover and looked into each other's eyes. Hugh felt relieved and fulfilled. God, he couldn’t describe how much he enjoyed it.

He moved his hand toward Mads’ sweaty forehead and he moved his fringe. Mads looked at him softly and caressed his hip.

"It was nice, huh?" Hugh said softly.

"It was really nice." Mads responded by giving him a small kiss on the lips.

"I like kissing you. You kiss very well." Hugh replied and hugged him.

"You too. But I already knew that." Mads admitted.

Hugh looked at him puzzled.

"Really? From the time we kissed on set?"

"No, from Florence."

Hugh looked at him dumbfounded. From Florence? Did they kiss in Florence? When?

"Don't make that face! You don't remember it, do you? When we were on the bridge.”

Hugh looked at him even more distraught.

"We kissed... on a bridge??!"

Mads laughed.

"We did. It was beautiful. But we were very drunk, so you probably don't remember."

"No, no, no! Wait a second. I can't forget that I kissed you on a bridge!"

"If it’s any consolation, it was memorable. Very romantic."

"And should this console me? It can't be that I don't remember... I just, I remember something about an alley and you.... I have some confused memories, I’ll admit."

Hugh felt so frustrated. How could he have forgotten such a thing? Damn it!

"Hugh, if you want I'll remind you of everything."

"You have to tell me everything! I want to know!" Hugh protested. He looked at Mads with his sexy kitten look.

"I’ll tell you then, but not now."

"Why not now?!"

Mads involved Hugh in an extremely passionate kiss. With that kiss, Hugh forgot about Florence, their kiss on the bridge, Mads' revelation, and even what his name was. Mads had this power.

"Because now I want to do something else." Mads replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One Chapter left! The last one is a flashback of the period when they were filming Hannibal in Florence. Hope you'll like it :)


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "Epilogue" is a flashback to what actually happened on that night in Florence that Hugh couldn't quite remember.  
> I'm planning to write a "sequel" called "You Said Something", so Nothing True Except The Eyes is going to be a part of a series. I really hope you enjoyed it this first part.  
> I also wanted to thank pisces714 for proofreading my entire work. She really did an amazing job.

_**Florence.** _

When Mads asked Hugh to have dinner with him, he was pleasantly surprised by the proposal and he accepted. They were currently filming season three in Italy and they were spending so much time together, especially off set. Hugh liked being in Florence and he was having a great time. Florence was a beautiful city: the food was simply delicious and he tasted the best wines.

That night Hugh dressed well since Mads told him they were going to a nice restaurant on the banks of the Arno. They met at the hotel lobby and walked close to each other until they arrived at the restaurant.

Once there, they were warmly greeted by the waiter who accompanied them to a private table. The windows next to their table directly overlooked the Arno. The place was so enchanting: the lights of the streetlights and houses were reflecting on the water and they were making the atmosphere very romantic. In the middle of each table there was a nice vase with a red rose in it. The restaurant had soft lights and the place was really quiet. Hugh was surprised that Mads had chosen such a place because he could only see happy couples. Was it…? _(a date?)_

When the waiter came back with the menu, Mads ordered the most expensive wine on the list.

“Am I having dinner with Hannibal Lecter?” Hugh joked.

“Well, Hannibal would want the best for his Will, right?” Mads answered directly.

His answer made Hugh blush. He tried to hide his smile behind his menu.

They both ordered an _antipasto_ , then a _contorno_ and finally a dessert. They chatted amiably and finished the bottle of wine. Both were so delighted that they ordered another one.

At the end of their “date”, they were both very drunk. They left the restaurant together giggling amiably. They began to walk without knowing exactly which direction they were going.

They arrived staggering on the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

"Mads, what’s going on today? You take me to romantic places, you buy me dinner…do you want to ask me to marry you by any chance?" Hugh chuckled, abandoning his body on Mads.

Mads looked at him smiling softly and lit a cigarette. "Come closer."

Hugh came closer without asking any questions.

"Now, close your eyes. Open your mouth."

"Mads, I'm too drunk for these little games!"

"Come on, do it..."

Hugh closed his eyes and he opened his mouth a little. He waited without knowing what Mads had in mind. It excited him. Mads took a drag and tried to pass him the smoke with an almost kiss.

Instinctively, Hugh pressed his lips to his friend’s. He didn’t know if it was ok for Mads or if it was what he really wanted to do, but he was drunk and he just followed his instinct.

Mads didn’t seem upset, in fact he wrapped his arms around Hugh’s waist and let the cigarette fall to the ground. He responded to the kiss passionately. They both closed their eyes and got closer.

Neither of them realized they were in such a famous and public place. Even though it was nighttime, and the tourists had left, there could still be people around and someone could possibly recognize them.

“These romantic places have a strange effect, uhm?..." Mads said when he separated from Hugh’s lips.

Hugh opened his eyes slowly.

“Mmh...Mads, kiss me again!" he said trying to reach Mads’ lips.

Mads put his hand in Hugh's curls and stroked them gently. He hesitated.

“….Please?” Hugh asked with his puppy face.

Mads smiled and let himself go. When their lips met again, Hugh massaged them with his own and tried to introduce his tongue. Mads opened his mouth to let him in and their tongues touched softly. For a few seconds they explored each other’s mouths until their tongues started to struggle with passion.

It was a beautiful night and luckily they were alone on that bridge. Just the two of them. It was so cold outside that their breaths produced steam, but they didn’t feel cold.

As soon as they parted to catch their breath, Mads spoke.

"Let's go to the hotel Hugh, what do you say?"

"Have we already moved on from the marriage proposal to the honeymoon?" Hugh commented, and chuckled. Mads stroked his back and then kissed his forehead.

"Hugh, you're irresistible. I shouldn’t feel what I feel for you, but you’re making things difficult for me and I can’t resist.”

“Mmh..irresistible, I like it. Don’t fight it, kiss me.” Hugh said grabbing Mads’ coat and tried to kiss him again.

Mads closed his eyes and kissed Hugh’s soft lips. After a few seconds, he separated from him. They really needed to get to the hotel. He took him by the hand.

"Do you know where we're going?" Hugh asked confusedly. In his mind he was still thinking about kissing Mads. He desperately wanted to feel Mads' lips on his. He was hoping that once in their hotel, Mads would take him to his room.

"More or less," Mads muttered.

At one point they arrived in a dimly lit alley which, according to Mads, had to be a shortcut to get to their hotel. Hugh had no idea if it was true, he had some suspicions. Honestly, he was so drunk that Mads could have taken him to another city and he wouldn't have realized it.  
As soon as they entered the desolate alley, Hugh found himself against the wall. He realized what was going on only when Mads kissed him impetuously. Hugh didn’t think twice and he grabbed him with an automatic gesture.

"Mads..." he whimpered excitedly. Mads rubbed up against him and sank his tongue into his mouth.

Hugh responded to the kiss with passion and extreme naturalness. The kiss was so pure, so intense that in that moment only he and Mads existed. Whatever was going on around them didn't matter.

Suddenly Mads broke the kiss and Hugh looked at him stunned. What was the problem now?

Mads looked at him earnestly and began to babble.

"Hugh you're so handsome. I never want to stop kissing you. I took you out to dinner because I wanted to be alone with you. I don't know what's happening to me. I think I have feelings for you, Hugh. Tell me it's not just me who's feeling like this, please."

Hugh looked at him confused. Suddenly his head was spinning fast. He couldn't concentrate. He barely understood what Mads had told him.

"Mads, I'm going to faint."

The last thing Hugh saw before he lost consciousness was Mads' shiny eyes.


End file.
